TWL, what do you think of the Clearaudio Aurum series, specifically the Beta S? 3mv output MM. It's kind of heavy at 10 grams, but would work in my ProJect arm. Too bad the Denon 103 has such a low output...I used a Denon 300 MC for a while in the 1980s and loved the way it sounded.
My wife finally got it
My dear spouse has never objected to my audio expenditures and has tolerated the hobby with an occasional "roll of her eyes". Last night, after dinner, I went into the music room, and put on an LP; as I do many evenings. It was the Sheffield Labs/Los Angeles Symphony/Eric Liensdorf Firebird.
My 5 year old daughter and our dog were in the room in front of a toasty fire, the lights were dimmed VERY low (I need to set the mood:)). I was completely immersed in the music. My wife was moving around the house, but mostly doing something in the adjacent family room. When the stylus hit the run-out groove at the end of side 2, she walked into the room and said: "That sounded better than ANY CD I have ever heard. That was beautiful!" Light dawns over Marblehead ladies and gentlemen! She followed up by saying: "Now I understand." We have been together for 10 years, and that is the first time her equipment comments have not been on the order of: "that was nice, but I can listen on the boombox in the kitchen". God, I LOVE that woman!
My 5 year old daughter and our dog were in the room in front of a toasty fire, the lights were dimmed VERY low (I need to set the mood:)). I was completely immersed in the music. My wife was moving around the house, but mostly doing something in the adjacent family room. When the stylus hit the run-out groove at the end of side 2, she walked into the room and said: "That sounded better than ANY CD I have ever heard. That was beautiful!" Light dawns over Marblehead ladies and gentlemen! She followed up by saying: "Now I understand." We have been together for 10 years, and that is the first time her equipment comments have not been on the order of: "that was nice, but I can listen on the boombox in the kitchen". God, I LOVE that woman!